The present invention relates generally to a table, and more particularly to a table having integral object storage and display capabilities.
It is common for people to accumulate treasured objects during their lifetime. These treasured objects often include objects such as photographs, pictures, drawings, and newspaper clippings. Also common are collections of treasured objects such as stamps, coins, and baseball cards.
One currently practiced method for storing and displaying these treasured objects is to place them into storage devices such as photo albums, scrapbooks, or storage cases. This method allows one to display these treasured objects at close range on a table, where guests often gather to enjoy refreshments and conversation. However, because these storage devices are themselves stored in closets, drawers, or the like, manufacturers limit their size. This limited size results in small groupings of treasured objects within these storage devices, thereby limiting arrangement possibilities for the treasured objects. Furthermore, one must retrieve these storage devices from storage for display and return them to storage after display.
Another method for storing and displaying these treasured objects is to place them into picture frames, which are hung on walls or set on furnishings. With this method, objects are on display continuously, so there is no need to retrieve the objects from storage for display and return the objects to storage after display. Picture frames hung on walls offer an increased area for arranging treasured objects, which increases arrangement possibilities. However, the use of picture frames to store and display treasured objects can give walls and furnishings a cluttered appearance. Picture frames hung on walls do not allow display of these treasured objects at close range on a table such as a kitchen, dining or coffee table where guests often gather to enjoy refreshments and conversation. Picture frames set on tables often hinder normal uses of tabletops. Therefore, they are more commonly set on dressers, nightstands, bookshelves, display cabinets, or desks, which are not often gathering spots for guests to enjoy refreshments and conversation. Outside of their ability to store and display treasured objects, picture frames often lack functionality.
Yet another method of storing and displaying these treasured objects is to lay them on a tabletop and cover them with a sheet of glass. With this method, objects are on display continuously, so there is no need to retrieve the objects from storage for display and return the objects to storage after display. The large size of the display area increases arrangement possibilities. This method allows one to display treasured objects at close range at a table where guests often gather to enjoy refreshments and conversation. Furthermore, storing and displaying treasured objects in a table is efficient because a table is a functional device that is commonly found in the home. However, this method has its disadvantages. Accessing treasured objects is difficult due to the size and weight of the glass sheet. The arrangement of the objects is often disturbed during installation and removal of the glass sheet. Because these treasured objects simply lie on the tabletop, one must remove the existing treasured objects individually and individually add and arrange new treasured objects. This makes it difficult and time consuming to change the display of existing treasured objects to a new set of treasured objects. Also, because the objects simply lie on the tabletop, it is not practical to store more than one layer of treasured objects on the tabletop. Therefore, storage capacity is essentially limited to the area of the tabletop when using this method.
After the preceding examination of methods used to store and display treasured objects, it is clear that the devices used in these methods have inherent disadvantages. Therefore, a need exists for an invention that overcomes the inherent disadvantages of these devices, thereby providing an improved device for storing and displaying treasured objects.
The present invention satisfies the need for an improved device for storing and displaying treasured objects. Accordingly, the present invention has several objects and advantages including:
(a). to provide storage and display of treasured objects at a tabletop where guests often gather to enjoy refreshments and conversation;
(b). to provide a large display area for treasured objects, which increases arrangement possibilities;
(c). to provide a storage and display device suitable for many disparate objects, for example coins, photographs, stamps, trading cards, and other relatively thin objects;
(d). to provide a table that is capable of storing and displaying relatively thin, treasured objects without disrupting the function of the table;
(e). to provide a storage and display table whose embodiments can take the form of many different kinds of tables, for example kitchen, dining, or coffee tables;
(f). to provide storage for relatively thin, treasured objects, thereby allowing traditional storage areas, such as closets, drawers, cabinets, and shelves to be utilized for storing other items;
(g). to provide a display area for relatively thin, treasured objects, thereby allowing traditional display areas such as tabletops, countertops, furnishings, shelves, and walls to be less cluttered or to be utilized for displaying other items;
(h). to provide an apparatus for displaying relatively thin, treasured objects that allows a user to quickly and easily change the displayed objects from one set of objects to another set of objects;
(i). to provide an apparatus capable of safely and conveniently storing multiple layers of relatively thin, treasured objects;
(j). to provide a storage and display apparatus that is integrated into a functional and commonly used device, namely a table; and
(k). to provide a storage and display apparatus that allows easy, convenient access to objects.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention include:
(l). to provide a visual identification system for quickly and easily identifying a selected set of objects;
(m). to provide a storage and display table that is expandable;
(n). to provide a table which has a modular storage and display system; and
(o). to provide a modular selection of storage panels for storing disparate objects.
The present invention does not require that all the objects and all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment of the present invention.
A table having features of the present invention comprises a tabletop having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface. The tabletop is at least partially constructed of a substantially transparent material allowing a user to see below the lower surface of the tabletop from above the upper surface of the tabletop. The table has one or more storage panels for storing and selectively displaying objects, and a support structure configured to support the tabletop and support the one or more storage panels below the lower surface of the tabletop wherein at least one of the one or more storage panels is visible through the substantially transparent material of the tabletop. The support structure has an opening allowing the user to remove and install the one or more storage panels to manage the objects thereon and to arrange the one or more storage panels to selectively display the objects through the substantially transparent material of the tabletop.